Post
by harakka » Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:32 pm
Black Folk Down
B3 FT: FTL Lwlooz, AR Mike, AAR Mort, AT harakka
Note: When writing this I recalled I was in A3, when in fact I was in B3. I've tried to edit the text to match reality.
One of those hot landings. The Blackhawk carrying Bravo was supposed to drop off its cargo first in the small compound in eastern Zargabad and lift off. This didn't quite happen, as hot landings against AI in ARMA2 don't necessarily see a lot of incoming fire, but what does come in is invariably very accurate. Bravo's chopper, piloted by BlackMamba, apparently went from flyable to a brick as it landed, and several of the passengers became spectators in the process. Among these was Mort, so we were only three right from the start.
The compound itself was secure enough and elements spread out quickly to secure various outlying structures. B3 was mostly holding the rear at this stage, while other Bravo elements seemed to spend a lot of time lying on the ground groaning. Eventually B3 got to take point for a while, advancing towards the mosque without any major issues. Once we got to the mosque entrance, along with some other elements, Mike ran out of ammo and went to grab a rifle from a body next to the mosque doorway. This proved to be a mistake as some unseen assailant shot Mike dead from within the mosque courtyard. Lwlooz managed to avenge Mike, but I perished soon after when I spotted another of the mosque's defenders through the main building, on the opposite side of the courtyard. He had seen me too, we fired simultaneously and both went into our separate afterlifes.
I then got to spectate remaining forces clearing the mosque, while taking surprisingly high number of casualties, grabbing the warlords, and then waiting for a rescue that would never come.
Red Snow
A3 FT: FTL harakka, saboteur Phoenix, rifleman Legs, marksman Daf
IceRaiser's plan had Alpha squad, led by Wafflynumber, HALO on a small clearing north of the main AO. Our main target would be the vehicle depot. The initial approach went very smooth as fireteams advanced in a line through the woods to the town outskirts. A3 was closest to the factory compound at the north edge of Berezino, which turned out to be guarded by four CDF soldiers. I had my men orient in a line towards the factory, pick targets and fire on my mark. The enemies fell in about a second without getting a shot off.
A3 then kept overwatch as A2, who were in position to support A3, scouted the factory compound. No further defenders were found, but as we withdrew back into the treeline, a CDF Mi-8 flew over us towards south and disgorged paratroopers to bolster the main defenses in the middle part of the town.
Meanwhile, Waffly had A1 position itself west in the treeline in order to scout out the vehicle depot. Infantry and a manned ZU-23 truck were spotted, and A2 and A3 were to move to a small mound on the northwestern edge of the town. CDF forces in town spotted us while we were on the move and engaged, but at least A3 didn't take any casualties. I ordered my guys to break contact by moving onto the opposite side of the mound, and then move back into position, ready to spot enemies and return fire.
Waffly now ordered A3 to move into the town and advance along the closest road towards the vehicle depot, while A1 would take a more direct route. We were close to the small red brick train station which seemed like a good staging point, so I had my men enter it. Daf, with his VSS, was to grab a coast-facing doorway and take out any enemies visible from that side, with Phalanx supporting him. Meanwhile I got eyes down the road, spotting a group of CDF soldiers standing on the road about 300m from us. Waffly was on the radio, hurrying A3 along so we could support the other Alpha elements in assaulting the vehicle depot, so after Daf and Phoenix had done their job, I repositioned Daf onto the roadside and the rest of us advanced along the road into engagement range.
The engagement started earlier than I had hoped as the CDF group went active when we were about 150m from them, but Daf was on the job and we helped the best we could. As we got to the group's original position we started taking sporadic gunfire from a compound to our east, across a small stretch of tall grass and bushes. We didn't have good visibility on our shooters and Waffly wanted us moving west closer to the depot, so I ordered my guys to break contact and move west, getting buildings between us and our assailants.
Unfortunately this didn't work out too well, as Phoenix got shot in quick order. I popped smoke and tried to get him back into the fight. I succeeded but took a lethal bullet myself soon after.
Mission maker comments:
The players are heavily undergunned, the advantage of darkness disappears during the mission and the enemy gets reinforced with nastier and nastier stuff as the mission progresses, so surgical precision and disengagement are key. Also even though commander has the option to spread the squads pretty wide over the AO, this isn't a necessity.
Everything considered we did pretty well here though, as there are a lot of objectives and I think only two were left when everyone was dead. I'm considering modifying the squad structure so that one fireteam would have long range firepower, another medium range and the last short range, so elements could be used in more specific roles.
Donuts don't wear alligator shoes.
. After a few OHYGODWHATDOIDO moments akin to the workshop** I try and give it a go, quickly cementing myself as having the same kind of leadership skills as captain Smith from the book 'If I die in a combat zone'. We push up a couple hundred metres, then I take one to the face.
but the rocket alerts everyone to our position and we're practically pinned pretty quickly afterwards. Soon enough we try and make some room for ourselves, Strang gets taken out, and I'm dead soon after. Probably my favourite mission of the night.
. Hats off to Toppo though for his command of Bravo, he did a really impressive job of keeping the squad together and efficient.
) After clearing the few enemies with no problems we headed to the vehicle depot we were supposed to destroy. Along the way A1 got massacred horribly by something, they were too far away and we didn't help them. So, we got eyes on the depot, and assaulted it. I planted some satchels and blew up the hardware. Then the T90 arrived and all went to hell. After "regrouping" at the strategic barn at the end, I managed to score one hit with an RPG, but it didn't do anything to the tank. 